China on Friday told the country's tech giants to conduct "deep self-examination" over issues including data security and user rights, as Beijing turns up the heat in its broadening regulatory clampdown.

From e-commerce to ride-hailing, Chinese firms have been battered recently as regulators tighten the leash on tech corporations, citing national security and antitrust concerns.

On Friday, major names including Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance and Pinduoduo were among more than 20 firms summoned to a meeting with a department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

"It is necessary to conduct deep self-examination," officials told the gathered corporations, according to a statement released afterwards.

The firms should scrutinise their approach to user rights infringement, data security threats as well as violations of resource management regulations, the ministry said.

"Major internet platform companies must serve as an example, be a builder of good market order, and create an open, inclusive and fair competitive environment," according to minutes from the meeting, detailed in the MIIT statement.

Just two days earlier, Alibaba and Tencent, along with 10 other businesses, were asked by the Internet Society of China to step up data security protection.

Meituan, Xiaomi and ByteDance were also called to both meetings.

The orders come a week after the MIIT launched a six-month campaign to clamp down on illegal web activity, days later ordering Tencent and 13 other developers to tackle pop-up windows on their platforms.

China has recently launched probes into major companies and unveiled sweeping new regulations for a range of industries, rattling global markets and causing Chinese companies to reconsider overseas listing plans.

A politburo meeting on Friday stressed the need to "improve the regulatory system for the overseas listing of enterprises".

bys/rbu/axn

Tencent

Alibaba

Related Links
Satellite-based Internet technologies

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

China's Tencent ordered to give up exclusive music rights in antitrust crackdown
Beijing (AFP) July 24, 2021
Chinese tech giant Tencent must relinquish its exclusive music label rights, the market regulator said Saturday, after finding that the firm had violated antitrust laws. The ruling is the latest in a crackdown on China's tech sector after years of runaway growth, as Beijing frets over the companies' growing influence as well as the security of troves of sensitive consumer data. Tencent acquired a majority stake in rival China Music Group in 2016, effectively controlling more than 80 percent of e ... read more